Page 44 of Lethal Game

One little push would have rolled her into her cot, but he found he didn’t want her even that far away. He put a pair of boxers on, then pulled on a pair of sleep pants. He slid in behind Sophia, spooned up against her, put an arm around her, and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

***

Anumber of bootedfeet marching down the hall created enough noise to wake the dead. Con discovered himself held down in the most awesome manner possible. Sophia had rolled over in her sleep and somehow draped herself over his chest. One of her legs was thrown over both of his, effectively holding him down.

He checked his watch. 0845. “Hey,” he said, giving Sophia a small shake. “Wake up.”

“Why?” she mumbled.

“Because we have to report for duty in fifteen minutes.”

She groaned and sat up. She looked around, took in her position and his and asked, “Did I sleep with you on this plank all night?”

“Yes, and it’s not a plank, it’s a bed.”

“It’s barely a bed.”

“It’s the same as yours.”

“Ha,” she snorted. “I added another mattress to mine because it felt like I was sleeping on aplank.”

“And you snore.”

“I do not.”

“It’s kind of like a purring snore. Cute.”

“I’m going to cute you in the mouth,” she grumbled. “I need a shower.”

Con considered her for a moment. She seemed okay. “Sure, go ahead.”

She got to her feet and took a step before he saw them.

Bruises.

“Sophia?” He was up and next to her before she got all the way around.

“What?”

He lifted one of her arms and took a good look at the bruise pattern on the skin of her biceps. A hand.

She followed his gaze and sighed. “That’s not bad, actually.”

He touched her face, stroked one finger along her jaw. “You have more here.” The sight of them made him want to beat the shit out of the two assholes who’d put their hands on her all over again.

She shrugged. “I get new ones every day.”

He could see them—the old bruises, some dark, some pale yellow and green. Her uniform would cover most of them up, keep them out of sight. Was anyone aware of how many she carried on her body?

Was he responsible for any of them?

“It looks worse than it is,” she said, a crooked smile on her face. She shrugged again and went into the bathroom.

He stood there for a whole minute, thinking. Trying to figure out a way he could keep her safe.

Safe. That was one state of being no soldier counted on.

***

---